'GM for a day' part of Padres' LUNGevity auction

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres are auctioning off three unique items as well as experiences that will benefit LUNGevity, the largest national lung cancer-focused nonprofit.

For the third consecutive year, Major League Baseball, MLB Advanced Media, MLB Network and the 30 clubs have organized the auction that includes unprecedented baseball experiences and rare items to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.

The announcement of the charity auction was made Monday at the Winter Meetings.

The auction will be featured on MLB.com until Thursday at 8 p.m. PT.

This initiative was inspired by the numerous employees, friends and fans of the game who have been directly affected by cancer. This is part of the larger MLB initiative, Stand Up To Cancer.

Funds raised from this year's auction will be donated to LUNGevity, the largest national lung cancer-focused nonprofit, in memory of the late Baltimore Orioles public relations director Monica Barlow, who battled lung cancer until her passing in February.

"Major League Baseball is honored to conduct fundraising efforts for LUNGevity in memory of Monica Barlow," Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig said in a statement. "As a social institution with important social responsibilities, our game's most valuable opportunities are those that make an impact on the lives of others. It is our privilege to contribute to an extraordinary cause."

The Padres are auctioning off a baseball autographed by Hall of Famers Tony Gwynn, Trevor Hoffman and Dave Winfield.

The team is auctioning off a "General Manager for a Day" experience at Petco Park, where four guests will enjoy batting practice from behind home plate before the gates open to the public and will be escorted to the field by assistant general manager Fred Uhlman Jr.

The group will then join the baseball-operations team in the general manager's suite for the first three innings of a game.

The Padres also are offering a "Behind the Scenes with Dick Enberg" experience, where the bearer and one guest will watch the Padres take batting practice on the field, where they will meet Enberg.

Included in the package will be a tour of the Fox Sports San Diego broadcast booth and the Fox Sports San Diego production truck. The auction winner and guest will then get to watch two innings of the game from the broadcast booth. There are also two field level tickets included.